Cable clamp



April 5, 1955 J. s. PARSONS CABLE CLAMP Filed May 24, 1952 INVENTOR.JOHN 5. PA PSO/VS iY ATTO NE Y6 United States Patent CABLE CLAMP John S.Parsons, Forestville, Conm, assignor to The Stanley Works, New Britain,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 24, 1952, Serial No.289,788

1 Claim. 01. 24-432 This invention relates to rope and cable tightenersor clamps and pertains more particularly to a device of this typewherein a spring strap serves as a clamping member.

One feature of the invention is to provide a cable tightener in whichthe cable can be pulled taut without having manually to release theclamp.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a clamp ofthis character which is self-clamping, the gripping pressure on thecable increasing with any increase in tensional pull applied to thecable.

A further feature of the invention lies in the provision ofbzlt clampcapable of accommodating various diameter ca es.

Still another feature of the invention is to provide a clamp in whichthe clamping action is well distributed to avoid concentration of theclamping pressure in any one spot which might damage the cable or rope,particularly the latter, since ropes are composed of relatively soft,severable strands of fibers.

A still further feature is to provide a cable or rope clamp of simpleand sturdy construction comprising only a few parts.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the clamping device showing a suggesteduse thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the line 3-3 ofFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 but showing the clamp in acable releasing position.

To illustrate the invention, the clamping or tightening device,generally designated by the letter A in the drawing, is depicted as aclamp for maintaining a clothcsline taut, although it is suitable formany uses, the pictured use being only suggestive. Accordingly, Fig. 1shows a pair of spaced, upstanding posts and 12, each provided with ahook 14 and 16. The clothesline to be supported by the posts constitutesa rope or cable 18 having one end 20 anchored to the hook 14, anintermediate portion 22 clampingly engaged by the device A, and a freeend 24 which may be used in pulling the cable taut preparatory toclamping it.

The clamp A comprises a pair of lever members 26 and 28 pivotallyconnected together by a pin 30, the pin having an enlarged head 32 atone end and another head 34 at its other end by which the levers areretained in a side by side relation. The lever 26 includes a handle 36provided with an aperture 38 for connection of the lever to the hook 16,an intermediate portion 40 through which the pin 30 extends, and anextension arm 42, these parts all being integral with each other. Thelever 28 includes a handle 44 connected to a gripping disk 46, the diskhaving a peripheral groove 48 extending therearound for theaccommodation of any selected portion, such as the portion 22, of the cale t b? a p As shown, the disk 46 is integral with the handle 44 to formthe lever 28.

Both the extension arm 42 and the handle 44 are equipped with laterallyprojecting lugs or pins 50 and 52, the two pins serving as anchoringmeans for the ends of a U-shaped strap 54, a pair of rivets 56 and 58serving to retain the strap 54 in a partially encircling or embracingrelationship with the disk 46. The strap 54 is desirably of high gradespring steel and in order for the strap to function as both a spring andclamping member the ends thereof are biased toward each other, thisbeing accomplished by initially providing a set to the strap so that inan unrestrained state the strap is selfcontracting to bring the endsthereof relatively close together. By so setting the strap 54 the endsmust be flexed apart to engage the pins 50 and 52, as shown in Figs. 1and 3, and when so flexed these ends urge the levers 26 and 28 apartwith the concomitant result that the strap is also forced in a directiontoward the disk to clamp the cable 18 at any selected region therealong.

From Fig. 4 it will be seen that the cable 18 is very easily insertedbetween the disk 46 and the strap 54 by manually squeezing the handles36 and 44 into the position shown. With the handles so positioned thereexists sufficient space for the facile introduction of the cable andrelease of the handles permits them to assume the position illustratedin Fig. 3 with an accompanying gripping of the cable. To make the cable18 taut it is only necessary to pull on the free end 24 of the cablewithout actually squeezing the handles 36 and 44 together, any pull inthis direction tending to unwrap the strap from the disk 46 and thecable section 22 inserted therebetween. Of course, cessation of the pullexerted upon the free end 24 will permit the inherent setting of thestrap 54 to clamp immediately the cable, thus maintaining the tautcondition into which the cable has been pulled. Conversely, any pull onthe end 20 of the cable will produce a tightening effect against thesection 22 being clamped, since a pull in this direction tends to wrapthe strap 54 more tightly about the disk 46.

Various sizes of cables may be readily accommodated inasmuch as there isan appreciable movement of the strap 54 outwardly relative to the disk.46 when the handles 36 and 44 are squeezed together, as will be seenfrom an inspection of Fig. 4. When these cables are clamped, the springstrap 54 simply grips the larger cable earlier in its return traveltoward the disk 46.

Also, while the foregoing description has referred to materials to beclamped having a circular cross section, it will be understood that anyelongated, flexible material may be clamped, the clamping surfaces ofthe disk 46 and the strap 54 being desirably configured to bestaccommodate the particular material. For instance, the device could beused to clamp box strapping. Further, it will be appreciated thatobjects to be clamped, though perhaps circular in cross section, neednot be braided, as the device effectively grips such material as pianow1re.

I claim as my invention:

A cable tightener comprising a pair of levers pivotally connectedtogether at one end and being angularly related at a small angle so thatthe levers may be squeezed together in a one-handed operation, one ofsaid levers having means at the outer end for attachment to a stationarysupport, the other of said levers having a disklike elementfixed'thereto at the pivot and pivotal therewith, and an inherentlycontractile U-s'haped spring strap extending about the disk-like elementand having its ends anchored to the respective levers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,161,461 Doherty June 6, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 627,178 Germany Mar. 10,1936

